To All A Goodnight
by Shimmerleaf
Summary: There is no better time then at the annual Christmas party to get together with friends. It is also the pefect place to find that special someone. Includes multiple pairings, takes place in Sunshine Islands.  On Hiatus
1. Christmas Party

Winter was never her favourite season, on the contrary, it was the season she liked the least. Even when she lived in the city she didn't like winter. It would rain for days on end and provided a dreary atmosphere. Here, on the Sunshine Islands, it would snow for days and then be sunny. Sometimes they would be hit by a blizzard. She hated them both although life on the island was generally better.

This was her fifth winter that she would be spending on the Sunshine Islands. She had gotten somewhat used to it although she still hated winter. Nothing could change her mind on that matter.

This was also her fifth time attending the annual Christmas party hosted at the inn on Sprout Island. Every year there would be a party, each time hosted by someone different, and everyone was expected to attend.

Sabrina was hosting this year, or more likely, her father was hosting. It was supposed to be Sabrina's job but Regis had taken over, saying that he knew _exactly _what to do. Everyone was disappointed of course; they still thought he was a vampire.

She knew better of course, having spent time with Sabrina and Will in that big mansion of theirs, she saw another side of Regis that others never got to see. Although she had to admit, he _is _creepy.

xxx

A chorus of animal sounds echoed around the barn as all her cows and sheep surrounded her, wanting to be petted. She laughed and brushed each of their coats before feeding them; at the same time she was humming Christmas songs.

She had already taken care of her chickens, watered her crops on Greenhouse Island and had already visited Mushroom Island to take care of her pet pig.

After brushing Congo, one of her sheep, she put the brush back into her rucksack and headed outside. There were still a few more hours until she was supposed to be at the party. Regis apparently made a schedule which included many activities and the time they were supposed to occur. That alone was a sign of chaos as no one would follow it, it was a given.

xxx

"Hurry up, Chelsea, or we'll be late!"

The farmer rolled her eyes at her friend before rushing off to the bathroom to change into her dress. Regis had requested that all females come in dresses and males in suits. It was an annoying request for sure but at the same time, it provided an occasion for the younger villagers to dress up.

"Be patient Julia, we still have plenty of time to spare. You know I have excellent time management skills, don't worry."

Julia was dressed in a simple yet elegant dress that Lanna had given her. The hem of the dress barely reached her knees so as a result she had on stockings and black knee high boots.

Chelsea walked out of the bathroom wearing a long light blue dress. Her hair was curled and tied into a fancy ponytail. Putting her shoes on, she looked nothing like a farmer. One could say she looked more like the type to work in an office in the city.

Julia eyed her and whistled, leading to Chelsea glaring at her playfully. "You look amazing in that. Why don't you dress up like that when you come visit me? I bet you'll have Vaughn wrapped around your finger in no time."

Her cheeks flared up and she blushed, looking away. Did everyone on the island know she liked Vaughn in that way?

"Do you want to go now? I'm ready."

The blonde laughed and shrugged before heading towards the door. "You just want to avoid the topic."

xxx

The inn wasn't very big as very few people actually stayed there. There were about five rooms and usually only two were being used. However, the inn was now larger and had a main lobby plus a room used for weddings and parties.

Regis greeted the two of them in the lobby and pointed them towards the direction of the ballroom. Chelsea thanked him and headed down the hall while Julia made an excuse and went off in the other direction.

Turning around, Chelsea saw that Julia had found Elliot and was talking to him with a wide smile. Laughing to herself, she leaned against the wall and watched them for a moment. She found them to be incredibly adorable together.

"When did you take to spying on people, Chelsea? It isn't very ladylike," a familiar voice questioned from down the hallway.

"Will! I wasn't spying on them, I was just seeing why Julia went the other way," Chelsea exclaimed, surprised at his sudden appearance.

He chuckled and offered his arm to her. "Can I escort milady to the main room where this Christmas event is taking place?"

Chelsea smiled and rolled her eyes, taking his arm. "You may, although can you please stop talking like that? It's hard to take you seriously."

"I never said I wanted to be taken seriously but your wish is my command," Will said before walking Chelsea to the ballroom.

A pair of amethyst eyes unknowingly watched them, glittering with annoyance. When they were out of view, he also started down the hallway.

xxx

The main room where the party was being held was quite crowded as many people had already arrived. Regis had given a speech to welcome them...and to promote his mining business which was quite fruitless as the only people that entered the mine were his employees and Chelsea. Occasionally Lily would be there to hunt for treasure that was about it.

After his speech, the villagers had dispersed into groups to gossip and to enjoy themselves. Regis' schedule was soon forgotten.


	2. On the Dance Floor

Chelsea looked around the crowded room, trying to find Julia. She hadn't seen her ever since they had entered the inn and Julia went to talk to Elliot. Will had led her to the ballroom before excusing himself to talk to his uncle.

She spotted Lily talking to Carol, the innkeeper, with Will hovering nearby. Lanna and Denny were sitting at a table eating what looked like fish. Scanning the room once more, she glanced in every direction but still couldn't find Julia.

"Looking for your boyfriend?"

Startled, she gasped and turned around to see the silver haired cowboy standing right behind her. "Vaughn? When did you get here?"

He shrugged and fiddled with the rim of his hat, looking away from her. She cocked her head to one side and stared at him, puzzled. "Mirabelle made me come today. I couldn't exactly say no."

Chelsea nodded and went back to scanning the room, still looking for Julia. Even though the room was crowded, she didn't think it would be that hard to see a tall blonde female. Her gaze lingered on Lily and Will before moving on.

Vaughn watched her, his eyes narrow and shining with distain. He never did like Will as he thought everything he did was just for show; of course Vaughn never actually talked to him so he was just being biased.

"Is something wrong, Vaughn?" Chelsea asked, seeing him aiming a glare at someone. She followed his gaze to see it led to Will and looked at him, even more puzzled.

"Nothing," he grunted before stalking off towards the table where Denny and Lanna were. She watched him leave and wondered if she should follow him when Julia popped up in front of her and dragged her away.

xxx

A glass of milk emptied into his mouth, followed by another. Most people like to drink alcohol while he likes to drink milk, even when trying to get drunk. He couldn't get her off of his mind, especially not tonight.

He had to admit that she looked stunning in her light blue dress. He had never seen her look so beautiful before, although he thought she looked gorgeous no matter what.

The memory of seeing Will leading Chelsea down the hallway like a gentleman played in his mind and he downed another glass of milk. Will annoyed him to no end, possibly because of the way he acted toward Chelsea, even though Will acted that way towards all females. He didn't like it.

xxx

"So what were you and Vaughn doing together?" Julia questioned. She had taken her to a table where Elliot's family were seated, eating. A plate of food sat in front of them and Julia had eaten half of it before firing questions at Chelsea.

"Nothing, I was looking for you when he appeared out of nowhere," she replied. A faint blush had started blooming on her cheeks and she ducked her head, feeling extremely self conscious.

Julia gave her an all knowing look and grinned. "Sure, I totally believe that. Anyway, have you seen Sabrina yet? I haven't seen her the whole night."

"No, I haven't. Actually, I haven't seen Mark either. I wonder what they're up to."

The blonde shrugged and continued eating the rest of her food. Looking around the large room once more, Chelsea excused herself and decided to see if she could find Sabrina or Mark. It was quite odd how she hadn't seen either of them yet.

As she left, she noticed Felicia and Taro all dressed up and couldn't help but chuckle. Taro had on a worn out suit that looked like it was going to fall apart at any moment while Felicia's dress was covered in patches of different fabrics. It was quite a sight to see.

xxx

"I hope everyone is enjoying this year's Christmas party, hosted by Regis. It is almost time for the party to be over and he invites everyone onto the dance floor," a voice suggested through the speakers placed around the room. Chelsea recognized the voice as Sabrina's and headed towards the adjacent room in the back. Earlier, she had seen Regis go into the room before hearing his voice on the speakers. Maybe that was where Sabrina was.

Walking across the dance floor, she kept her gaze on the door of the adjacent room and didn't notice the silver haired man in front of her until it was too late.

She crashed into him and the force caused her to fall backwards. Bracing herself, she was surprised to feel a pair of arms around her instead of the floor. Amethyst eyes stared at her before letting her go. She stood upright and faced him, giving him a smile. "Thank you Vaughn and I'm sorry for crashing into you. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Vaughn nodded before walking away, heading for the exit. She wondered why he was leaving so early and was about to follow him when she spotted Sabrina and Mark sitting together. Chelsea thought about going over to talk to them but decided against it as they looked like they wanted to be alone. Instead, she went after Vaughn.

"Vaughn, are you leaving already?" she called after him. He was already half way down the hallway and running in a dress was not very efficient.

He turned around when he heard her voice and shrugged. "There's no point of me being here, I might as well leave and do some work."

"Won't Mirabelle be unhappy that you left?"

He shrugged again, one hand fiddling with the rim of his hat. "It doesn't matter, she just wanted me to come and I did."

Chelsea couldn't help but let out a giggle at his logic. "Why don't you stay for a few more minutes? The party is going to end soon, anyway."

Vaughn didn't respond and she used the opportunity to take his hand and pull him back to the ballroom. He pulled his hat farther down so that it covered his eyes.

She dragged him to the ballroom and now they stood in the center of the dance floor. Music was playing through the speakers and she smiled at him. "Dance with me."

His eyes widened and a light blush appeared on his cheeks. She put one of her hands on his shoulder and held out the other for him to take. Taking her hand, he placed his other hand on her waist and they swayed to the music. He couldn't help but feel extremely awkward as pairs of wandering eyes watched them but at the same time, he felt somewhat happy.

They continued dancing for the duration of the party although Vaughn wanted to stop at times. Eventually other people joined them and soon everyone was dancing. It was quite amusing seeing Mirabelle dance with Taro while Eliza and Charlie looked adorable.

All in all, Chelsea had to say it was a great night.


	3. Out In The Snow

Julia lightly kissed Elliot's cheek, causing his face to turn bright red. She laughed at his reaction and grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall. Chelsea had already left for the ballroom so she felt no need to wait; besides, she had plans for the night. It was the perfect place to play matchmaker.

Elliot on the other hand, wanted to spend the night with her, not helping her cause mischief. It was a known fact that Elliot had a crush on Julia for the longest time and everyone was happy for them when they finally got together.

A lot of people were already there when the two of them entered the ballroom. Some people were dancing, although the expression on their faces showed they weren't happy. Mostly, everyone was sitting at a table, chatting or just eating.

She couldn't see Chelsea anywhere but didn't think much of it and dragged Elliot towards a table. The last time she had eaten was a few hours ago and she was getting really hungry. Elliot watched her munch away while he himself didn't eat. He felt nervous as this was the first big event he attended as someone's boyfriend and didn't know how to act. Julia had told him to just be himself but he still wasn't sure.

Natalie had teased him since this morning, saying that he'll trip, make a mess and embarrass Julia. He definitely did not want that.

"Aren't you hungry, Elliot? Why aren't you eating?" Julia asked after she had eaten half her plate and saw his was still full.

Elliot shook his head and smiled gently at her. "Do you want it?"

"Oh no, you should eat some," she said softly.

He did as she suggested and ate. Whenever she used that tone of voice, he would feel obligated to do what she said. It sounded so...motherly and sweet.

xxx

"I wonder where Chelsea is," Julia pondered. Some time had passed and she still had yet to see the brunette farmer. Elliot's family had joined them at the table aside from Natalie, who had wandered off.

Elliot was glad Natalie wasn't here. As much as he was supposed to love her, he liked having her not around more. "Do you want me to go look for her?" Elliot offered. Felicia and Taro were quietly eating, watching the younger adults have fun.

She shook her head and pushed back her chair. "No, I'll go look." Elliot watched her leave and leaned back into the chair with a sigh. He wished he could've spent the night alone with Julia, preferably somewhere quiet, instead of here. He wasn't antisocial or anything, he just considered himself socially awkward.

xxx

Elliot continued eating while waiting for Julia to return. Sooner than later, she came back with Chelsea in tow. Julia sat back down and carried on eating. Chelsea sat down in the empty chair next to Elliot and he smiled at her.

"So what were you and Vaughn doing together?" Julia questioned.

"Nothing, I was looking for you when he appeared out of nowhere," she replied. A faint blush had started blooming on her cheeks and she ducked her head, feeling extremely self conscious.

Julia gave her an all knowing look and grinned. "Sure, I totally believe that. Anyway, have you seen Sabrina yet? I haven't seen her the whole night."

"No, I haven't. Actually, I haven't seen Mark either. I wonder what they're up to."

The blonde shrugged and continued eating the rest of her food. Chelsea excused herself and went to look for Sabrina and Mark. Elliot had finished off his plate and waited patiently for Julia.

"Let's go, Elliot," Julia announced after satisfying her appetite. Taro and Felicia had left already, although they had no clue where.

"Where are we going?"

She shrugged and looked around. Everyone else were eating, talking or dancing. She couldn't see Chelsea and there was no point in bothering her again.

"Do you want to go outside?" Elliot asked hesitantly. Snow was falling outside, adding to the pile that had already gathered on the ground. The winter sky was dark yet stars shined brightly above.

xxx

"Wow, Elliot, it's so beautiful out here," Julia exclaimed.

He had led her outside, away from the crowded room. The air was chilly and caused goose bumps to run along her arms whenever the winter breeze blew past. He had taken off his coat and given it to her, receiving a warm smile in return.

Out here, Elliot felt perfectly comfortable albeit a bit cold but he could put up with that. This setting was even better than Starry Night as this time it was only the two of them, with no one to bother them.

Snow fell around them, some getting tangled into Julia's hair. Small flakes caught onto the fabric of her dress, making it sparkle in the moonlight. The crescent moon stayed hidden behind a blanket of clouds although its rays easily made their way passed and shone onto the pair of them.

"Julia...you look really beautiful," Elliot stammered, his face blushing bright red. Never before had he told that to someone nor had he openly admitted it either.

She torn her gaze away from the twinkling flakes of snow and looked at him, her mouth open wide in a smile. "Thank you, Elliot. You look quite handsome yourself," she added with a giggle as the blush on his face deepened.

"I-I think we should head back in."

The two of them walked back inside with Julia still wearing Elliot's coat and a full blush on his face.

xxx

Once the two of them were back inside, Julia gave Elliot back his coat and wandered off, saying she had to go to the washroom. He looked around the room and decided to walk around, there wasn't much for him to do.

"So you finally decided to come back, huh," a familiar voice stated.

He turned around to see his sister and Pierre standing a ways from him. Ducking his head, he greeted them without looking at them. Opening his mouth, he turned to reply to her when Pierre whispered into her ear and they left, leaving Elliot staring after them, looking confused.

xxx

A hand grasped his shoulder and he let out a gasp. Laughter filled his ears as he turned around. When his eyes meet hers, she kissed him on the lips. Looking stunned, he kissed her back although rather hesitantly. She laughed some more and smiled at him.

"Are you enjoying the party, Elliot?"

All he could do was nod before Julia dragged him off onto the dance floor. He didn't know how to dance but with Julia, it didn't matter as she told him exactly what to do. The two of them swayed to the music, smiles blooming on both their faces.

Elliot had to say he was glad he came to this party. He was extremely glad to have Julia as his girlfriend.

**A/N: Fixed a minor detail that contradicted the first chapter :3**


	4. Snowball Fun

The sound of her laughter rang through the air and he couldn't help but smile before looking down at his plate with a glare. Never before in his life had he eaten a fish that was as hard to chew as this one. Using a knife, he still found it incredibly hard to cut the fish.

She, on the other hand, had already eaten the whole of her fish and was watching him with amusement glittering in her eyes. She loved how he was one of the best fishermen on the island but couldn't cut apart a fish.

"Please stop laughing at me, Lanna!" he exclaimed as his knife once again slid against the meat of the fish and smacked the plate. _Why did I have to get the piece that is especially hard to cut?_

Smiling sweetly at him, she took his knife from him and proceeded to cut this fish. He watched her for a moment before noticing that the fish still refused to be cut. She frowned and furrowed her brows before pressing the knife into the flesh with more force.

"Denny, what's wrong with your fish?" she cried out, pushing the plate back to him.

He stabbed the "fish" and bit into it slowly. Upon closer inspection while he chewed, he noticed that the appearance of the "fish" differed from the one that Lanna had eaten. The taste did not match any fish he had ever eaten in his lifetime either.

"This isn't fish, it's chicken!" Denny dropped the meat onto his plate and glared at it. The piece of meat lay limply on the plate, looking innocent.

Switching her gaze between Denny and the chicken, Lanna couldn't help but giggle. Although the "fish" had her baffled and slightly annoyed her too, she still thought it funny at how Denny was fooled and wasn't able to cut it. The embarrassed, flustered look on his face that slowly turned into annoyance made her smile as she had never seen Denny annoyed before.

xxx

"What are you looking at, Lanna?" Denny questioned as he caught his girlfriend looking across the room again. Every time he would look over in the same direction but would never see anything of interest.

"I saw Chelsea," she replied simply. "She was looking around the room and I waved at her but I guess she didn't see me. I wonder what she was looking for."

xxx

"C'mon Denny, are you finished eating yet? You take so long!"

He looked up from his plate and stared at her. Her lower lip jutted out in a pout, her arms were placed on her hips with a look of exasperation shining in her chestnut eyes. Letting out a laugh, he stood up and grabbed one of her hands, pulling her out of her chair. "What do you want to do then?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously and he smiled. Surprising Lanna always provided him hours of entertainment, sometimes along with a lecture or two. Lanna opened her mouth to reply when Sabrina's voice sounded through the speakers.

"I hope everyone is enjoying this year's Christmas party, hosted by Regis. It is almost time for the party to be over and he invites everyone onto the dance floor."

"Do you want to dance?" Denny asked. Very few people had gotten out of their seats and made their way to the center of the room dubbed the dance floor. He saw Chelsea going after Vaughn and Julia walking towards the doors with Elliot. So much for dancing...

His thoughts were interrupted by Lanna's face. While he was staring off into the distance, she had answered him and when he hadn't responded, she stuck her face in front of his.

Blinking away shock and amusement, Denny offered her his hand. Looking at his hand then at his face, she took his hand while shaking her head and smiling the same time. This was probably the first time Denny had done something so...gentlemanly.

xxx

Dancing was not something Denny did for fun; in fact, he had never danced in his life before this day. He didn't know why he had asked Lanna to dance with him but he was happy he did.

A big smile was plastered onto her face as they swayed to the slow paced music. She leaned her head against his shoulder, smiling up at him. He grinned back at her as they continued to sway back and forth. He felt incredibly awkward in his suit while holding Lanna so close. The sleeves of her dress brushed his face whenever she moved her hands, causing her to giggle and him to blush.

Chelsea and Vaughn had wandered back into the room and made their way onto the dance floor as they were now also swaying to the music. Denny noticed Chelsea was whispering into Vaughn's ear and he couldn't help but wonder what they were up to.

"What do you think they're talking about?" a warm breath whispered against his ear. She took her hand off his shoulder and pointed at Vaughn and Chelsea. He shook his head and shrugged, concentrating on his where his feet were instead.

The music changed and a faster paced song came on. Lanna stopped dancing and pulled on Denny's hand, walking away from the dance floor.

"You don't want to dance anymore?" Denny asked.

She shook her head and smiled devilishly.

xxx

He couldn't help but shiver slightly as the snow landed and melted on his face. A ball of snow pelted him in the back and he cringed before turning around.

"C'mon Denny, it isn't _that _cold out here," Lanna teased.

The snow crunched beneath her stilettos as she made her way closer to him, another snowball in her hand. Her dress swished against her legs as she kept moving, unflinching in the cold. The only light came in the form of the light from the inn as the moon stayed hidden behind clouds. Few rays of moonlight shone through the clouds but the ones that did illuminated the area even more, making the snowflakes sparkle.

Throwing the snowball, she laughed as Denny shuddered and his face twisted in fake agony. He grabbed a handful of snow and flung it at her, which she easily dodged. "You're going to have to try better than that to hit me!"

Lanna threw another snowball at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Denny shook his head and laughed before picking up a handful of snow and ran after her. It was easier for him to run as his shoes were not elevated. She yelped when the ice cold crystals touched the side of her face.

Denny stood before her, grinning. "How was that?"

She pouted and he laughed once more. "That was good, you surprised me but you better watch out next time."

Smiling, she took his hand and led him back inside but not before chucking another snowball at the back of his head when he wasn't looking.

"Lanna!"

Really, there is nothing better than having fun in the snow with that someone special.


	5. In The Kitchen

She couldn't help but frown slightly as he eyed her, or more accurately, the area around where her hands were. His mouth curved up in a smile with the tip of his tongue sticking out. Her friends had told her countless times before that the dress she currently had on accentuated her figure and made her look "beautiful" as Julia had put it. She had decided to wear the dress as a surprise for Pierre as hardly anyone had seen her in a dress. All the previous years that she had attended the Christmas party, she would at most wear a skirt or a nice T-shirt with jeans. The first and last time she wore a dress was for Sabrina's birthday party where Regis had _forced_ everyone to be dressed up, just like this year's party.

This was not the reaction she had anticipated from him when she had decided to wear a dress.

"Pierre," she called out to him, snapping him out of his trance.

"Oh, Natalie, I'm sorry about that. It's just..." he trailed off, his eyes reluctantly looking away.

She wouldn't have minded if he was looking at her that way because of her being in a dress, she wouldn't have minded at all. This was just annoying her. Giving him a pointed look, she sighed before sitting down and placed their meal on top of the table.

Pierre sat down across from her and his eyes looked at their meal hungrily with his tongue poking out of his mouth, which was curled up in a wide smile. Natalie ignored him as he went back to admiring the food and took a piece.

There were an assortment of buns, breads and dumplings along with a variety of different fruit juices. She had to admit, it was rather impressive and they were all grub that she enjoyed eating.

Munching on some raisin bread, she noticed that none of the food on the platter were ones that Pierre liked. On the contrary, most of them were ones Pierre hated.

He continued to sit there, a look of happiness pasted on his face as she carried on eating. Instead of staring at the food, his gaze had switched to her, which she founded somewhat disturbing. This wasn't the first time he had stared at her while she ate but most of time, she was eating the food he had prepared and was waiting for a reaction or comment. This time, she hadn't a clue as to why he was watching her.

Pausing in the middle of taking a sip of her blueberry juice, she looked directly at him and stared back. "Is something wrong, Natalie?" he asked when he noticed she had stopped eating.

"Why aren't you eating, Pierre?" she shot back. Putting down her glass of juice, she saw him flinch slightly and shook his head, letting wisps of his blonde hair fly.

"I don't particularly like these types of food," he responded lightly. Shrugging it off, he smiled back her and urged her to continue eating.

Raising an eyebrow, she stared questioningly at him but did as he wanted and went back to eating.

xxx

Leaning back in her chair, Natalie looked around the room in hopes of seeing a friend. Pierre had left to use the washroom early and had yet to return. She had finished eating a while ago, much to Pierre's pleasure.

Spying Elliot and Julia near the back of the large room, she contemplated going over to tease her brother. From where she was sitting, she could make out Julia talking and Elliot sitting patiently, listening to her. He was always like that, never one to interrupt or be rude, she scoffed.

Standing up, she decided to go over to say "hi" when she felt a hand on her bare arm. Shivers ran up her upper limbs and she turned around to see Pierre standing behind her.

"Natalie, would you like to come with me? Or do you have something in mind?" he asked, his eyes looking in the direction of where Elliot and Julia were.

"What do you have in mind?" she questioned with a shrug of her shoulders. Turning her back to where Elliot was, she focused her gaze on Pierre. _He_ was the one that she wanted to spend tonight with and she knew he didn't like how she made fun of Elliot.

"Come with me."

xxx

The pair of them walked down a hallway with a delicious scent wafting through the air. They had left the ballroom behind a while ago and Pierre had yet to say where the two of them were headed. The hallway was slightly wider than the one that led to the ballroom and the walls weren't as decorated.

A delicious scent surrounded her and she breathed it in. It smelled lightly of apples with a hint of cinnamon. She relayed this information to Pierre and he grinned.

"I never thought you would be able to identify spices from their smell," Pierre commented, sounding impressed, "We're nearing the kitchen."

xxx

"Can you close your eyes, Natalie?"

The pair of them had stopped outside a door that neared the end of the hallway. Looking back, she could barely hear any noise which seemed odd to her as a party was happening in the ballroom. The aroma of food enveloped them almost to the point of overwhelming her but Pierre seemed to enjoy it. Doing as he asked, she closed her eyes.

"Wait here for a moment and don't open them," he instructed before closing the door open.

The door creaked then swung shut. She could hear people mumbling to one another although the sound was muffled by the closed door. Oddly, Pierre's voice was the one that stood out and the only one that was loud enough for her to make out words.

Temptation to open her eyes and go into the kitchen gnawed at her but she pushed it away. She believed Pierre had a good reason for doing this.

xxx

The door creaked once more and a warm hand was placed on her shoulder. She went to open her eyes but Pierre kept her from seeing anything as his hands automatically went to cover her eyes.

"Natalie, please keep your eyes closed!" he reminded her with a scolding tone.

She laughed and an image of him pouting popped up in her mind. She closed her eyes again to satisfy him and felt his hands leave her eyes only to reappear on her arm.

The kitchen door creaked and she felt it brush against her shoulder as Pierre slowly led her inside. The room was quiet and a feeling of tranquility settled over them. It felt strange to her as just moments earlier the kitchen sounded like it was bustling with people.

"You can open your eyes now," he instructed. She heard a hint of a smile in his voice and opened them eagerly.

Looking around, the kitchen was deserted, except for the two of them. All signs of any activity that had occurred were gone, leaving the countertops shining.

On the counter before them were ingredients and a freshly baked pie. She knew it was freshly baked as the area around the pie was still hot and she could see steam still rising. Looking at Pierre quizzically, she asked him why they were in the kitchen.

"The last time I personally cooked something for you was so long ago that I don't even remember what I made," he admitted with a blush growing on his face.

She listened as he continued and tried to remember what the last thing he made_ was_, but all that came up in her mind was a blank.

"I thought today would be the perfect day to fix that." He gestured to the ingredients laying in wait. "Why don't you sit over there and wait? This might take a while since I've never tried it before."

"What do you plan to make?" she couldn't help but ask. Never before had Pierre admitted he hadn't or couldn't cook something.

"I was thinking to bake an apple pie."

xxx

After ten minutes of watching Pierre measuring and sifting flour, she had gotten bored and wandered over to another kitchen counter. Each unit had their own counter, stove and refrigerator. Digging around in the fridge and glancing over at Pierre, an idea popped into her head and she grinned mischievously.

Her cooking ability was far from Pierre's and even Chelsea's but definitely not as bad as Julia's. Taking out all the ingredients she believed she needed, she set off to work to make a dish for Pierre. Looking back at him, he was so into making the pie that he hadn't noticed Natalie was no longer watching him. Smiling knowingly, she shrugged it off and started cooking.

xxx

The pinging of a bell signalled to Pierre that the pie was done baking. Putting on the oven mitts, he carefully took it out and placed it onto a cooling rack. Steam rose from the pie and floated toward him. Inhaling deeply, he smiled. "Natalie, your pie is ready."

When she didn't respond, he turned around to see her standing a ways from her, holding at plate of...curry?

Breathing in the aroma, he deduced that it was a plate of finest curry and when Natalie told him it was, he couldn't help but gasp. Finest curry was one of the hardest dishes to make as they required a lot of skill to perfect and many ingredients.

"Are you shocked?" she wondered out loud. The look on his face was quite priceless and she took pride in surprising him

He nodded lightly and opened his mouth to reply but no sound came out, instead of spoonful of rice was thrust into his mouth. Having no other choice but to chew, he tasted the dish and was amazed when the flavour of the curry popped out. It wasn't too spicy and the rice wasn't completely soaked from the curry. It was delicious!

"This is amazing, Natalie!" Pierre commented after he had swallowed and eaten a few more spoonfuls. "I never tasted a better tasting dish of finest curry before."

She rolled her eyes but smiled at his compliment nonetheless. Taking a slice of apple pie, she bit into it and felt like melting. The tanginess of the apples blended perfectly with the dough, making the apple pie as a whole taste even better.

Taking another bite, she looked over at Pierre. He had another spoonful of curry in his mouth and a blissful look on his face. Laughing, she rolled her eyes, causing Pierre to look at her.

"Don't you find it odd that we're in the kitchen while others are dancing? It _is _a party..." Natalie stated.

Pierre shrugged and placed the plate on the countertop. "Would like you to dance?"

Raising an eyebrow, she gave him a look of disbelief.

Smiling, he took her hand and together they danced...or attempted to. It was quite hard to dance in the silence, after all.

"You look beautiful in that dress," he commented softly.

Natalie stared at him, wide-eyed. So Pierre did notice! He laughed gently and kissed her hesitantly but she pulled him against her. Their lips lingered before they broke apart with both their faces flushed scarlet.

"I think I'm starting to like apples now."

**A/N: I'm sorry this is so late . I was planning to finish the whole story **_**before **_**the end of January but obviously, that didn't happen. This probably won't be updated again until a while later since I need to study for midterms and it's almost Valentine's Day :D I hope Natalie or Pierre isn't too OOC, I've never written them before. This oneshot is also a bit long... but I hope that is okay?**

**Happy Leafing~!**


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